


Like a Glove

by Yellow14stoner



Category: Yellowstone (TV 2018)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:01:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26801071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yellow14stoner/pseuds/Yellow14stoner
Summary: Beth is home from the city.
Relationships: Beth Dutton/Rip Wheeler
Kudos: 17





	Like a Glove

Pre-pilot

Honky-Tonk  
Montana

Beth Dutton whipped her shiny black car into the first open space she saw outside of the run-down little bar and exhaled a loud puff of air that lifted the hair slightly covering her right eye. How the fuck had she ended up back in Montana? 

That’s right, one call from her father and she’s zipping down the highway right back to Paradise Valley. She hadn’t even made it a whole day at the lodge before she was thinking of ways to find a release for all the underlying anger and tension being back at the Yellowstone brought her. Back around her family and Jamie. 

She growled quietly, low in her throat at the thought of her so-called brother. God, she would have been happy to never lay eyes on him again but some things just weren’t meant to be. And so here she was, outside the familiar honky-tonk. Loud country beats escaping with every opening of the front door. She needed whiskey and maybe a turn or two around the dance floor with some rugged cowboy to help her de-compress. 

Beth grabbed her cigarette case and purse, slipping her keys inside, she exited the car. She took a look at the cowboy hat on her passenger seat before deciding against wearing it. She wasn’t quite ready to fully immerse herself in this life again. She closed the door and locked it before ascending the old wooden steps and entering the rowdy little establishment. 

Stale cigarette smoke, drumming country music, and neon lights hit Beth all at once. She squeezed her way to the bar and was pleased to see an open stool waiting for her. She ordered Southern Comfort on the rocks and spun around to survey the land, so to speak. Cowboys littered the place. Single men lined the bar with taken ones seeming to occupy the high tables with their girlfriends. Couples crowded the dance floor with more circling it, watching.

She scanned the crowds. She never limited herself to just the single men. Sometimes, more appealing options presented themselves in other ways. She never sought out a man that was spoken for but if one decided they’d rather take a chance on her, that was their business. 

Before she had even finished her drink, a skinny man with light colored hair walked up to Beth and asked her for a dance. It was clear by the way he dressed and his physique in general, that he was not a genuine cowboy. His hat was too large, it fell down on his forehead and his boots were too new-looking, definitely not worked in. Beth could have landed a man like this back in the city. She was not interested and told him so in not so many words.

The Dutton daughter spun back toward the bar, raised her finger for a new drink and downed the rest of the one in her hand in a single swallow. The bartender immediately replaced it as he went about his business. 

Surveying the dance floor once again, Beth watched cowgirls cozy up to their men as they confidently moved them in tune to the music. Toward the edge of the dance floor her gaze fell upon a particular couple.   
The girl appeared to cling to the big, strong man. He had one hand on either side of her waist and she had wrapped both arms around his neck. He swayed her to the music and let his eyes wander the crowd. Beth admired the cowboy as his backside came into her view. She looked down at his boots, clean but definitely worked in, up his legs, the jeans fit just right. Not too tight but comfortable enough to move in as he mounted and dismounted horse after horse. He was wearing a short, dark jacket even though it was warm inside the bar. His cowboy hat fit perfectly too. It was low enough to make him look sexy as hell but also served its purpose. 

The man looked familiar to Beth but the dim lights inside the bar didn’t allow her to identify him. Just as he turned to spin the girl in his arms at the end of the song, the lights came on and she found herself looking at the face of one Rip Wheeler. 

Beth turned back toward the bar before she could be seen and took a gulp of her drink. Rip. Of course the man she was ogling was the one and only man she’d been enamored with since she was a kid. Not that she’d ever admit that to him or anyone else for that matter. She had managed to avoid him earlier at the ranch as she had stayed inside for the most part but she wouldn’t be able to do that forever. Especially if she was expected to stay for any length of time. 

Taking a quick peek behind her, Beth watched the blonde buckle-bunny looking girl take Rip's hand and pull him in the direction of a table off to the right. At the table was a couple more blonde bimbos and Lloyd. She affectionately looked at the old cowboy who had had Rip’s back since they were kids. Of course he would be there. The two rarely ventured into town without the other. And of course, one of the girls was draped over Lloyd’s arm. She only hoped Lloyd hadn’t spotted her too because he would certainly tell Rip and she wasn’t quite ready to reveal herself.

That is, she wasn’t ready to reveal herself until she saw the two-bit little hussy lean into her rugged cowboy and run her hand dangerously high up the inside of his seated thigh. For his part, Rip didn’t much react to her brazen petting but he didn’t move her hand either. Beth knew it would only be a matter of time and a few more beers before Rip let the touches carry him away with her. She wouldn’t have that while she was around to stop it. 

A tap on Beth’s shoulder had her looking up into the dark eyes of another potential suitor. This one certainly fit the part of ranch-hand. His black cowboy hat hid the dark hair underneath and his jeans were well-worn. There was still mud on his boots and his hands were calloused. The man’s clean shaven look wasn’t what she had expected but it would do to get her out on the dance floor. All she needed was a valid reason to be seen and for that expected spark of jealousy to get her into the arms of the only real cowboy in the room. She nodded at the man’s offer and allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor.

When it looked like he was trying to lead her further into the crowd, Beth steered them closer to the outskirts where Rip was sure to notice her. The music was thumping with the bass and couples were two-stepping in time. She allowed herself to get sucked into the rhythm and tried not to look in the direction of the Yellowstone men.

A few well placed laughs at her vigorous dance partner's moves had Rip glancing in the direction of the crowd. His eyes widened slightly and then narrowed almost angrily at the sight of one Bethany Ann Dutton being spun into the arms of some cheese-dick wrangler from a Ranch in Boseman. He grasped his beer a little tighter and took a swig as the girl he was with once again tried to feel him up. Where he might have let the little harlot continue before, now he just wanted her to go away. Her girly games would never measure up to Beth’s womanly wiles. And he was no longer in the mood to play with her.

Abruptly standing from the table, the blonde girl stumbled a little at the sudden loss of contact with the big cowboy. “Do you want to dance again?” she asked sweetly. 

Almost on cue, the two-stepping song changed and the tune slowed to one more romantic. He looked over to Beth and her partner only to find her starring right back at him. She smiled wickedly at him before winding her arms up around the pecker-head that had placed his hands way too low on her waist. 

Rip looked down at Lisa or Amy, whatever her name was and nodded in the affirmative. He led her out and stopped a couple feet away from Beth. Rip drew the girl in close and it took no persuasion on his part for her to lay her head on his shoulder. She had an arm draped around his neck and the other playing with the button on his shirt. He kept an eye on Beth but when she turned her head to nuzzle into the cowboy's neck, he turned his partner so that he was no longer facing her. 

Beth raised her head to look over the shoulder of the man she was dancing with and was a little irked to realize Rip was ignoring her. He seemed completely invested in the woman hanging from him and Beth’s blood boiled a little at the sight. Well two could play that game and she wasn’t about to be undone. 

She raised up on her toes and whispered to the man, who’s name she hadn’t bothered to ask. “Should we get out of here?” She asked.

“Oh yea, hunny. Just lead the way. I’m Tim Hutchison by the way. What’s your name sweet thing?”

Beth almost rolled her eyes at the endearment but answered anyway as she took his hand to pull him toward the front door. “It’s Beth.”

He trailed after her as she practically drug him off the dance floor, making sure to bump into Rip and his little whore on the way by, “Excuse us,” she said sweetly as she winked directly at Rip. She could see his jaw clench and prayed he hadn’t changed all that much in the years since she had last seen him. 

Pushing open the door, Beth and Tim stepped outside and stopped at the top of the steps. 

“So, uh your place or mine hunny?” He asked her with a cocky smile. 

Suddenly, the door behind them opened and a big cowboy filled the frame. He looked at the pair and then walked right up to Beth. “Ain’t plannin on a dance with me Beth before ya head out with Timmy here?”

“Now Rip, you was in there dancing with Kelly. I didn’t take your girl, whatcha following us out here for?” Tim squared up and faced Rip, trying to intimidate the man who personified intimidation. 

Rip continued to look at Beth, ignoring Tim altogether. He quietly raised his eyebrows in question and waited for the woman’s response. 

Beth starred into his eyes, trying to remain passive but she could feel the twitching of a smile and knew she would be relenting. This was after all, her goal in leading the other man outside. She was counting on Rip’s possessive, jealous nature to come rescue her from the situation she had created. 

Finally, rolling her eyes, Beth smiled. “It's been a long time Rip. Of course, I’ll dance with you. All you had to do was ask you know.” Rip chuckled low in his chest and held out his hand for her to precede him back into the bar.

Before she had taken a step, Tim grabbed her elbow in an attempt to remind the woman of their plans. “Hey little lady, where do you think you’re going huh? We already had plans. Just tell this brute you’ll see him around, he’ll understand.” He pulled her elbow towards him and Beth looked up at Rip with daring eyes and a small, knowing smile. 

Of course Rip knew that Beth could take care of herself and he had seen her do so on many occasions. He also knew she liked a man, well, not every man, but she liked for him to come to her rescue. He didn’t intend to let her down. 

Rip turned on Tim and snatched the smaller man’s wrist from Beth’s arm. The pressure that he applied forced him to let go and take a step back. “You better never let me see you fucking touch her again, Timmy, got it? Now we’re gonna go inside and dance. Why don’t you run on home and get ready for bed, alone.” 

He gave the man a small shove backward and then opened the door for Beth. As she was about to pass through, Tim tried to grab Rip by the arm but in one swift move the man never saw coming, Rip jabbed his closed fist into the other man’s nose and watched him fall to the floor. 

Beth peered around Rip’s masculine back and gave the man a small wave. “Bye Timmy, thanks for the dance.” She giggled and walked back into the bar with Rip in tow. Looking back at the cowboy behind her, Beth said, “It took ya long enough to come after me. Thought maybe you were gonna go with Miss Cop-a-feel instead.”

“Do you want a beer Beth?” Rip ignored her comment and steered her toward the table he and Lloyd had set up. The two girls were still there, talking to Lloyd, but the blonde Rip was entertaining was gone. 

Beth took hold of Rip’s hand and started walking in the direction of the dance floor. “No, Rip. I want to dance,” she said.

He spun her around and drew her in close. He held one of her hands while his other one rested on the base of her back. She wrapped her hand high on his shoulder and smiled looking into his eyes. 

“When did you get back in town?” 

“Today. God help me. With any luck, I won’t be here long.”

“Mmm,” Rip grunted and nodded. It wasn’t hard for him to understand her distaste for the family ranch but he wished it was different nonetheless. The stolen moments with her were fleeting and becoming fewer and further in between. 

The music slowed but the pair never missed a step. Beth eased her hand from Rip’s and ran it up his arm to clasp her other one behind his neck. She laid her head in the crook of his neck and sighed contently as he slowly ran his other hand down her back to his other one. He angled his head down to rest against hers and closed his eyes. 

Beth sighed as she settled further into his gentle hold. “Hmm, how is it that you still fit me like a glove after all these years?” She murmured.

“It’s not been that many years, Beth. And you know, once you find the right fit, nothing else will ever feel as good.” He whispered back.

She raised her head up and angled it to look up into his warm, sincere eyes. Closing hers, she met his lips in a tender hello that finally had her feeling like she was home.


End file.
